Operation Overlord Normandy, Troops of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division are landing at Juno Beach on the outskirts of Bernieres-sur-Mer on D-Day. 6th June 1944. 14,000 Canadian soldiers were put ashore and 340 lost their live in the battles for the beachhead. France. less

Operation Overlord Normandy, Troops of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division are landing at Juno Beach on the outskirts of Bernieres-sur-Mer on D-Day. 6th June 1944. 14,000 Canadian soldiers were put ashore and ... more

Photo: Galerie Bilderwelt, Getty Images

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Operation Overlord Normandy, British Navy Landing Crafts (LCA-1377) carry United States Army Rangers to a ship in Southern England. 1st June 1944. There are British soldiers in the conning station. Rangers embark and remain consigned five days on board English ships for safety measure. The troops will participate in the invasion of Normandy, France. Weymouth, United Kingdom. less

Operation Overlord Normandy, British Navy Landing Crafts (LCA-1377) carry United States Army Rangers to a ship in Southern England. 1st June 1944. There are British soldiers in the conning station. Rangers ... more

Photo: Galerie Bilderwelt, Getty Images

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Operation Overlord Normandy, Soldiers of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division are on patrol near Juno Beach where they landed on D-Day on the outskirts of Bernieres-sur-Mer. 6th June 1944. 14,000 Canadians were put ashore and 340 lost their live in the battles for the beachhead. France. less

Operation Overlord Normandy, Soldiers of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division are on patrol near Juno Beach where they landed on D-Day on the outskirts of Bernieres-sur-Mer. 6th June 1944. 14,000 Canadians were ... more

Photo: Galerie Bilderwelt, Getty Images

Image 4 of 62

Operation Overlord Normandy, United States Army trucks, jeeps and other vehicles have entered a town in Normandy, France. June 1944. They are part of the invasion troops fighting the German Army. France.

Operation Overlord Normandy, United States Army trucks, jeeps and other vehicles have entered a town in Normandy, France. June 1944. They are part of the invasion troops fighting the German Army. France.

Photo: Galerie Bilderwelt, Getty Images

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Operation Overlord Normandy, German prisoners of war are on board a Landing Craft Transport (LCT). June 1944. They will be taken to a Liberty Ship in the English Channel during the Allied invasion of Normandy. France. less

Operation Overlord Normandy, German prisoners of war are on board a Landing Craft Transport (LCT). June 1944. They will be taken to a Liberty Ship in the English Channel during the Allied invasion of Normandy. ... more

Photo: Galerie Bilderwelt, Getty Images

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Operation Overlord Normandy, United States Rangers have boarded a Landing Craft Assault (LCA) in a port in Southern England. 5th June 1944. They are holding a 60mm mortar, a Bazooka, a Garand rifle and a pack of Lucky Strike cigarettes. The ship and will depart for Omaha Beach, Normandy, France. United Kingdom. less

Operation Overlord Normandy, United States Rangers have boarded a Landing Craft Assault (LCA) in a port in Southern England. 5th June 1944. They are holding a 60mm mortar, a Bazooka, a Garand rifle and a pack ... more

Photo: Galerie Bilderwelt, Getty Images

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Operation Overlord Normandy, A United States truck is entering a Landing Craft Tank (LCT) in a port in Southern England. June 1944. The ship and will depart for Omaha Beach , Normandy, France. United Kingdom.

Operation Overlord Normandy, A United States truck is entering a Landing Craft Tank (LCT) in a port in Southern England. June 1944. The ship and will depart for Omaha Beach , Normandy, France. United Kingdom.

Photo: Galerie Bilderwelt, Getty Images

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Operation Overlord Normandy, A truck of the 1st Infantry Division of the United States Army is loaded into the Landing Ship Tank in Southern England. June 1944. The LST forms part of Group 30 of the LST Flotilla. The 1st Division was one of the two divisions that stormed Omaha Beach in Normandy, France on D-Day suffering high casualties. Dorset, United Kingdom. less

Operation Overlord Normandy, A truck of the 1st Infantry Division of the United States Army is loaded into the Landing Ship Tank in Southern England. June 1944. The LST forms part of Group 30 of the LST ... more

Photo: Galerie Bilderwelt, Getty Images

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Operation Overlord Normandy, A group of 15 injured soldiers is on the deck of a boat in June 1944. Six nurses are taking care of them. Coast of Normandy, France.

Operation Overlord Normandy, A group of 15 injured soldiers is on the deck of a boat in June 1944. Six nurses are taking care of them. Coast of Normandy, France.

Photo: Galerie Bilderwelt, Getty Images

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Operation Overlord Normandy, Soldiers of the 1st Infantry Division of the United States Army have boarded the Landing Craft Transport (LCT) named ëChannel Feverí ) in Southern England. 5th June 1944. They are ready for the landing in France. The 1st Division was one of the two divisions that stormed Omaha Beach in Normandy, France on D-Day suffering high casualties. Dorset, United Kingdom. less

Operation Overlord Normandy, Soldiers of the 1st Infantry Division of the United States Army have boarded the Landing Craft Transport (LCT) named ëChannel Feverí ) in Southern England. 5th June 1944. They are ... more

Photo: Galerie Bilderwelt, Getty Images

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Operation Overlord Normandy, Soldiers are checking their assignments in a tent near the port. June 1944. The sign at the entrance says: "Check Rosters Here." They will leave from here to participate in the invasion of Normandy, France. Weymouth, United Kingdom. less

Operation Overlord Normandy, Soldiers are checking their assignments in a tent near the port. June 1944. The sign at the entrance says: "Check Rosters Here." They will leave from here to participate in the ... more

Photo: Galerie Bilderwelt, Getty Images

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Operation Overlord Normandy, A United States Army ambulance jeep is entering a Landing Craft Transport (LCT) in a port in Southern England. June 1944. The ship and will depart for Normandy, France. United Kingdom. less

Operation Overlord Normandy, A United States Army ambulance jeep is entering a Landing Craft Transport (LCT) in a port in Southern England. June 1944. The ship and will depart for Normandy, France. United ... more

Photo: Galerie Bilderwelt, Getty Images

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United States Rangers from E Company, 5th Ranger Battalion on board a landing craft assault vessel (LCA) off the port of Weymouth, Dorset, 5th June 1944. They are holding a 60mm mortar, a Bazooka, a Garand rifle and a pack of Lucky Strike cigarettes. The ship is bound for Omaha Beach, Normandy, France. less

United States Rangers from E Company, 5th Ranger Battalion on board a landing craft assault vessel (LCA) off the port of Weymouth, Dorset, 5th June 1944. They are holding a 60mm mortar, a Bazooka, a Garand ... more

Photo: Galerie Bilderwelt, Getty Images

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Landing Ship Tank (LST-357) loading an ambulance at Portland Harbour, Dorset, before the D-Day landings, 5th June 1944. It will soon depart to participate in the cross channel invasion of Omaha Beach in Normandy. less

Landing Ship Tank (LST-357) loading an ambulance at Portland Harbour, Dorset, before the D-Day landings, 5th June 1944. It will soon depart to participate in the cross channel invasion of Omaha Beach in ... more

Photo: Galerie Bilderwelt, Getty Images

Image 18 of 62

Operation Overlord Normandy, Troops of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division are landing at Juno Beach on the outskirts of Bernieres-sur-Mer on D-Day. 6th June 1944. 14,000 Canadian soldiers were put ashore and 340 lost their live in the battles for the beachhead. France. less

Operation Overlord Normandy, Troops of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division are landing at Juno Beach on the outskirts of Bernieres-sur-Mer on D-Day. 6th June 1944. 14,000 Canadian soldiers were put ashore and ... more

Photo: Galerie Bilderwelt, Getty Images

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Operation Overlord, Vessels are waiting for the start of D-Day operations in an English port of embarkation. 4th June 1944. USS LST-314 (center) departed English waters as part of the second wave on 6th June. 9th June, it was torpedoed by a German E-boat and sank off the coast of Normandy. Great Britain. less

Operation Overlord, Vessels are waiting for the start of D-Day operations in an English port of embarkation. 4th June 1944. USS LST-314 (center) departed English waters as part of the second wave on 6th June. ... more

Photo: Galerie Bilderwelt, Getty Images

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Operation Overlord, Three American GIs are playing dart in a camp near their port of embarkation in the south of England. June 1944. The D-Day invasion fleet consisted of 5,000 ships carrying 170,000 assault troops. Great Britain. less

Operation Overlord, Three American GIs are playing dart in a camp near their port of embarkation in the south of England. June 1944. The D-Day invasion fleet consisted of 5,000 ships carrying 170,000 assault ... more

Photo: Galerie Bilderwelt, Getty Images

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Operation Overlord Normandy, An American ambulance, a jeep and other vehicles are driving through the ruins of Saint-Lo. August 1944. The town was almost totally destroyed by 2,000 Allied bombers when they attacked German troops stationed there during Operation Overlord in June. France. less

Operation Overlord Normandy, An American ambulance, a jeep and other vehicles are driving through the ruins of Saint-Lo. August 1944. The town was almost totally destroyed by 2,000 Allied bombers when they ... more

Photo: Galerie Bilderwelt, Getty Images

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US troops on the Esplanade at Weymouth, Dorset, on their way to embark on ships bound for Omaha Beach for the D-Day landings in Normandy, June 1944.

US troops on the Esplanade at Weymouth, Dorset, on their way to embark on ships bound for Omaha Beach for the D-Day landings in Normandy, June 1944.

Photo: Galerie Bilderwelt, Getty Images

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Operation Overlord Normandy, Two American soldiers are watching two United States Army jeeps driving through the ruins of the center of Saint-Lo. August 1944. The town was almost totally destroyed by 2,000 Allied bombers when they attacked German troops stationed there during Operation Overlord in June. France. less

Operation Overlord Normandy, Two American soldiers are watching two United States Army jeeps driving through the ruins of the center of Saint-Lo. August 1944. The town was almost totally destroyed by 2,000 ... more

Photo: Galerie Bilderwelt, Getty Images

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Operation Overlord Normandy, Three American soldiers from the 1st Engineer Special Brigade are looking at photos from home. June 1944. Landing Ships Tank (LST) and other vessels are on the beach at Omaha and barrage balloons are up in the air for protection. France. less

Operation Overlord Normandy, Three American soldiers from the 1st Engineer Special Brigade are looking at photos from home. June 1944. Landing Ships Tank (LST) and other vessels are on the beach at Omaha and ... more

Photo: Galerie Bilderwelt, Getty Images

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American assault troopsin Normandy on the dawn of the invasion. All thesemen wearbattle dresswithwool trousersandjacketM1941combat ortankerjacket.Behind thesemenare visiblecranesdock thatusedtoengineeringskiddingsupplieson the beachesat the end ofthe assault. At rightstands ablack soldierdressed infatigues,whichprobablybelongs to the320thBarrageBalloonBattalionorone of thesupport elementsof the5th Brigadeamphibiousengineering. less

American assault troopsin Normandy on the dawn of the invasion.All thesemen wearbattle dresswithwool trousersandjacketM1941combat ortankerjacket.Behind thesemenare visiblecranesdock thatused ... more

Photo: Galerie Bilderwelt, Getty Images

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Boarding ships in early June 1944 - Operation Overlord. Embarking on the LST-134 a GMC truck with a type HO/HQ-17 shelter It would land units on Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944.

Boarding ships in early June 1944 - Operation Overlord. Embarking on the LST-134 a GMC truck with a type HO/HQ-17 shelterIt would land units on Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944.

Photo: Galerie Bilderwelt, Getty Images

Image 29 of 62

Operation Overlord Normandy, A catholic nun and two young girls are standing in front of the ruins of the bombed Eglise Saint-Malo in Valognes, Brittany. July 1944. The town was badly damaged during the Allied drive on Cherbourg in June. France. less

Operation Overlord Normandy, A catholic nun and two young girls are standing in front of the ruins of the bombed Eglise Saint-Malo in Valognes, Brittany. July 1944. The town was badly damaged during the Allied ... more

Photo: Galerie Bilderwelt, Getty Images

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Operation Overlord Normandy, United States Army trucks and jeeps are driving through the ruins of Saint-Lo. July 1944. A group of American soldiers is walking along the street. The town was almost totally destroyed by 2,000 Allied bombers when they attacked German troops stationed there during Operation Overlord in June. France. less

Operation Overlord Normandy, United States Army trucks and jeeps are driving through the ruins of Saint-Lo. July 1944. A group of American soldiers is walking along the street. The town was almost totally ... more

Photo: Galerie Bilderwelt, Getty Images

Image 32 of 62

Operation Overlord Normandy, The church Notre Dame has been heavily damaged during the attacks on Saint-Lo. August 1944. The town was almost totally destroyed by 2,000 Allied bombers when they attacked German troops stationed there during Operation Overlord in June. France. less

Operation Overlord Normandy, The church Notre Dame has been heavily damaged during the attacks on Saint-Lo. August 1944. The town was almost totally destroyed by 2,000 Allied bombers when they attacked German ... more

Photo: Galerie Bilderwelt, Getty Images

Image 33 of 62

Operation Overlord Normandy, Soldiers of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division have set up anti-aircraft guns on Juno Beach where they landed on D-Day on the outskirts of Bernieres-sur-Mer. 6th June 1944. German Luftwaffe war planes are still active in the area. 14,000 Canadian soldiers were put ashore and 340 lost their live in the battles for the beachhead. France. less

Operation Overlord Normandy, Soldiers of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division have set up anti-aircraft guns on Juno Beach where they landed on D-Day on the outskirts of Bernieres-sur-Mer. 6th June 1944. German ... more

Photo: Galerie Bilderwelt, Getty Images

Image 34 of 62

Operation Overlord Normandy, An Allied plane has crashed during the fighting in Normandy. June 1944. Whatever is left is burning. France.

Operation Overlord Normandy, An Allied plane has crashed during the fighting in Normandy. June 1944. Whatever is left is burning. France.

Photo: Galerie Bilderwelt, Getty Images

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Operation Overlord Normandy, Soldiers of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division are trying to set up an anti-aircraft gun. June 1944. The emplacement is near Juno Beach. German Luftwaffe war planes are still active in the area. 14,000 Canadian soldiers were put ashore and 340 lost their live in the battles for the beachhead. France. less

Operation Overlord Normandy, Soldiers of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division are trying to set up an anti-aircraft gun. June 1944. The emplacement is near Juno Beach. German Luftwaffe war planes are still active ... more

Photo: Galerie Bilderwelt, Getty Images

Image 37 of 62

Boats full of United States troops waiting to leave Weymouth, Southern England, to take part in Operation Overlord in Normandy, June 1944. This location was used as a launching place for Allied troops participating in the invasion of Nazi-occupied France on D-Day, 6th June 1944. less

Boats full of United States troops waiting to leave Weymouth, Southern England, to take part in Operation Overlord in Normandy, June 1944. This location was used as a launching place for Allied troops ... more

Photo: Galerie Bilderwelt, Getty Images

Image 38 of 62

Operation Overlord Normandy, Four Allied soldiers are looking at a map in the center of a town in Normandy. June 1944. Two French policemen are also looking. France.

Operation Overlord Normandy, Four Allied soldiers are looking at a map in the center of a town in Normandy. June 1944. Two French policemen are also looking. France.

Photo: Galerie Bilderwelt, Getty Images

Image 39 of 62

Operation Overlord Normandy, Soldiers of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division have set up a mortar on Juno Beach where they landed on D-Day on the outskirts of Bernieres-sur-Mer. 6th June 1944. 14,000 Canadians were put ashore and 340 lost their live in the battles for the beachhead. France. less

Operation Overlord Normandy, Soldiers of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division have set up a mortar on Juno Beach where they landed on D-Day on the outskirts of Bernieres-sur-Mer. 6th June 1944. 14,000 Canadians ... more

Operation Overlord Normandy, A street in Cherbourg, which has recently been liberated by the United States Army. July 1944. Two American sailors and a GI are in the street. More than 10,000 German prisoners have been taken. 2,800 American soldiers died in the battle. France. less

Operation Overlord Normandy, A street in Cherbourg, which has recently been liberated by the United States Army. July 1944. Two American sailors and a GI are in the street. More than 10,000 German prisoners ... more

Photo: Galerie Bilderwelt, Getty Images

Image 44 of 62

Operation Overlord Normandy, A catholic priest is performing a religious service in the Normandy American Cemetary of Colleville sur Mer. July 1944. The town is near Omaha Beach where the largest battle of the invasion took place after the landings on 6th June. less

Operation Overlord Normandy, A catholic priest is performing a religious service in the Normandy American Cemetary of Colleville sur Mer. July 1944. The town is near Omaha Beach where the largest battle of the ... more

Photo: Galerie Bilderwelt, Getty Images

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Operation Overlord Normandy, A boy and a girl are standing in the market in Cherbourg, which has recently been liberated by the United States Army. July 1944. More than 10,000 German prisoners have been taken. 2,800 American soldiers died in the battle. France. less

Operation Overlord Normandy, A boy and a girl are standing in the market in Cherbourg, which has recently been liberated by the United States Army. July 1944. More than 10,000 German prisoners have been taken. ... more

Photo: Galerie Bilderwelt, Getty Images

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Operation Overlord Normandy, American troops with German prisoners of war on board a Landing Craft Transport (LCT). June 1944. They will be taken to a Liberty Ship in the English Channel during the Allied invasion of Normandy. less

Operation Overlord Normandy, American troops with German prisoners of war on board a Landing Craft Transport (LCT). June 1944. They will be taken to a Liberty Ship in the English Channel during the Allied ... more

Photo: Galerie Bilderwelt, Getty Images

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Operation Overlord Normandy, A Canadian soldier is directing traffic in Bernieres-sur-Mer. 6th June 1944. The Canadians landed at Juno Beach which is nearby. 14,000 Canadian soldiers were put ashore and 340 lost their live in the battles for the beachhead. France. less

Operation Overlord Normandy, A Canadian soldier is directing traffic in Bernieres-sur-Mer. 6th June 1944. The Canadians landed at Juno Beach which is nearby. 14,000 Canadian soldiers were put ashore and 340 ... more

Photo: Galerie Bilderwelt, Getty Images

Image 49 of 62

Helen Patton, center, the granddaughter of general Patton gestures after parachuting in to Picauville, during the ceremony in homage to the English and American airborne and pilots, at the Memorial of airborne and US Air Force, in Picauville, France, as part of the commemoration of the 70th D-Day anniversary, Thursday, June 5, 2014. World leaders and veterans prepare to mark the 70th anniversary of the invasion this week in Normandy. (AP Photo/Claude Paris) ORG XMIT: CLP112 less

Helen Patton, center, the granddaughter of general Patton gestures after parachuting in to Picauville, during the ceremony in homage to the English and American airborne and pilots, at the Memorial of airborne ... more

Photo: Claude Paris

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A C130 plane flies above Picauville, during a ceremony in homage to the English and American airborne and pilots, at the Memorial of airborne and US Air Force, in Picauville, France, as part of the commemoration of the 70th D-Day anniversary, Thursday, June 5, 2014. World leaders and veterans prepare to mark the 70th anniversary of the invasion this week in Normandy. (AP Photo/Claude Paris) ORG XMIT: CLP117 less

A C130 plane flies above Picauville, during a ceremony in homage to the English and American airborne and pilots, at the Memorial of airborne and US Air Force, in Picauville, France, as part of the ... more

Photo: Claude Paris

Image 52 of 62

Brucie Parcell, left, daughter of pilot Bruce Parcell , Alice Sheffer-Katona, right, daughter of pilot Col. William F. Shaeffer, and Gen. Philip M. Breedlove Commander, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, center, hold sprays of flowers during a wreath laying ceremony in homage to the English and American airborne and pilots, at the Memorial of airborne and US Air Force, in Picauville, France, as part of the commemoration of the 70th D-Day anniversary, Thursday, June 5, 2014. World leaders and veterans prepare to mark the 70th anniversary of the invasion this week in Normandy. (AP Photo/Claude Paris) ORG XMIT: CLP113 less

A C130 plane flies above Picauville, during a ceremony in homage to the English and American airborne and pilots, at the Memorial of airborne and US Air Force, in Picauville, France, as part of the commemoration of the 70th D-Day anniversary, Thursday, June 5, 2014. World leaders and veterans prepare to mark the 70th anniversary of the invasion this week in Normandy. (AP Photo/Claude Paris) ORG XMIT: CLP116 less

A C130 plane flies above Picauville, during a ceremony in homage to the English and American airborne and pilots, at the Memorial of airborne and US Air Force, in Picauville, France, as part of the ... more

Photo: Claude Paris

Image 54 of 62

U.S WWII veteran Warren Wilt, 91-yeras-old from Abbyville, Kansas, left, who landed on Picauville France on June 6, 1944, with the 82nd Airborne Division signs a book, for Jean-Pierre Mennessier, after a ceremony at the Memorial of Airborne and US Air Force, in Picauville, France, as part of the commemoration of the 70th D-Day anniversary, Thursday, June 5, 2014. World leaders and veterans prepare to mark the 70th anniversary of the invasion this week in Normandy. (AP Photo/Claude Paris) ORG XMIT: CLP109 less

U.S WWII veteran Warren Wilt, 91-yeras-old from Abbyville, Kansas, left, who landed on Picauville France on June 6, 1944, with the 82nd Airborne Division signs a book, for Jean-Pierre Mennessier, after a ... more

Photo: Claude Paris

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U.S WWII veteran 92 years old Anthony Di Bartolomeo, , from Myrtle Beach, SC, left, who landed on Picauville France on June 13, 1944, with the 9th Air Force Airdrome Squadron, speaks with a local, after a ceremony at the Memorial of Airborne and US Air Force, in Picauville, France, as part of the commemoration of the 70th D-Day anniversary, Thursday, June 5, 2014. World leaders and veterans prepare to mark the 70th anniversary of the invasion this week in Normandy. (AP Photo/Claude Paris) ORG XMIT: CLP108 less

U.S WWII veteran 92 years old Anthony Di Bartolomeo, , from Myrtle Beach, SC, left, who landed on Picauville France on June 13, 1944, with the 9th Air Force Airdrome Squadron, speaks with a local, after a ... more

Photo: Claude Paris

Image 57 of 62

A Scottish pipe band parades on Pegasus Bridge in Benouville western France, Thursday June 5, 2014, as part of the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the D Day. World leaders and veterans prepare to mark the 70th anniversary of the invasion this week in Normandy. (AP Photo/Remy de la Mauviniere) ORG XMIT: DLM102 less

A Scottish pipe band parades on Pegasus Bridge in Benouville western France, Thursday June 5, 2014, as part of the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the D Day. World leaders and veterans prepare to mark ... more

Photo: Remy De La Mauviniere

Image 58 of 62

A remembrance ceremony is held at Pegasus Bridge memorial in Benouville western France, Thursday June 5, 2014, as part of the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the D Day. World leaders and veterans prepare to mark the 70th anniversary of the invasion this week in Normandy. (AP Photo/Remy de la Mauviniere) ORG XMIT: DLM104 less

A remembrance ceremony is held at Pegasus Bridge memorial in Benouville western France, Thursday June 5, 2014, as part of the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the D Day. World leaders and veterans ... more

Photo: Remy De La Mauviniere

Image 59 of 62

A Scottish pipe band parades on Pegasus Bridge in Benouville western France, Thursday June 5, 2014, as part of the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the D Day. World leaders and veterans prepare to mark the 70th anniversary of the invasion this week in Normandy. (AP Photo/Remy de la Mauviniere) ORG XMIT: DLM103 less

A Scottish pipe band parades on Pegasus Bridge in Benouville western France, Thursday June 5, 2014, as part of the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the D Day. World leaders and veterans prepare to mark ... more

Photo: Remy De La Mauviniere

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COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, FRANCE - JUNE 05: World War II veteran William Spriggs, 89, of the 83rd Infantry Division and who took part in the invasion of Normandy, searches for fallen comrades in the Normandy American Cemetery June 5, 2014 in Colleville-sur-Mer, France. June 6th is the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings which saw 156,000 troops from the allied countries including the United States and the United Kingdom join forces to launch an attack on the beaches of Normandy, these assaults are credited with the eventual defeat of Nazi Germany. A series of events commemorating the 70th anniversary is planned for the week with many heads of state travelling to the famous beaches to pay their respects to those who lost their lives. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) *** BESTPIX *** ORG XMIT: 496136281 less

COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, FRANCE - JUNE 05: World War II veteran William Spriggs, 89, of the 83rd Infantry Division and who took part in the invasion of Normandy, searches for fallen comrades in the Normandy ... more

Photo: Win McNamee

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Added poignancy at Normandy events

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Colleville-Sur-Mer, France

Ceremonies to commemorate the 70th anniversary of D-Day are drawing thousands of visitors to the cemeteries, beaches and stone-walled villages of Normandy this week, including some of the few remaining survivors of the largest sea-borne invasion ever mounted.

World leaders and dignitaries including President Barack Obama and Queen Elizabeth II will gather to honor the more than 150,000 American, British, Canadian and other Allied D-Day veterans who risked and gave their lives to defeat Adolf Hitler's Third Reich.

For many visitors, the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, with its 9,387 white marble tombstones on a bluff overlooking the site of the battle's bloodiest fighting at Omaha Beach, is the emotional centerpiece of pilgrimages to honor the tens of thousands of men killed on D-Day and the months of fighting afterward.

D-Day veteran Clair Martin, 93, said he's come back to Omaha Beach three times in the last 70 years — "four if you count the time they were shooting at me."

The San Diego, Calif., resident landed on D-Day with the 29th Infantry Division and said he kept fighting until he reached the Elbe River in Germany the following April. "I praise God I made it and that we've never had another World War," he said.

Ceremonies large and small are taking place across Normandy, ahead of an international summit on Friday in Ouistreham, a small port that was the site of a strategic battle on D-Day. Fireworks lit up the sky Thursday night to mark the anniversary.

French President Francois Hollande's decision to invite Russian President Vladimir Putin to participate in the official ceremony despite his exclusion from the G-7 summit in Brussels is being seen by some as justified recognition of the Soviet Union's sacrifice in defeating Hitler, but by others as a distraction given the West's dispute with Russia over Ukraine.

Russian paratroopers joined the commemorations late Thursday, jumping down onto the town of Arromanches waving a Russian flag, in a reminder of their role fighting the Nazis on the eastern front in World War II and the millions of lives the Soviet Union lost.

With many D-Day veterans now in their 90s, this year's anniversary has the added poignancy of being the last time that many of those who took part in the battle will be able to make the long journey back to Normandy and tell their stories.

"Three minutes after landing a mortar blew up next to me and I lost my K-rations," said Curtis Outen, 92, of Pageland, S.C. Outen, making his first return to Normandy since the war, related the loss of his military-issued meal packet as though it happened yesterday. "Then I cut my arm in the barbed wire entanglements. After that I was all right."

By midmorning hundreds of visitors walked among the cemetery's long rows of white crosses and stars of David. Schoolchildren and retirees, soldiers in uniform and veterans in wheelchairs quietly move from grave to grave, pausing to read the brief inscriptions that can only give hints of the lives laid to rest there: